Winter tyres and steel rims recommendations please?

[SeaGoat]

Recommendations please for steel rims and winter tyres for a VRS - I would rather if the tyres were not low profile - e.g. 15" rims with suitable tyres would be nice

[Rooted]

If you are putting them on in about November and keeping them on to about March,

16" Rims and tyres might be a bit more suitable.

Plenty of suitable used Alloys & Winter Tyres usually offered for Sale in the Ads on here or Ebay,

& easy enough to give a lick of paint to.

 

Unless you are in a area that has many cold days and nights, and lots of snow.

There are usually plenty of decent days where it is nice to enjoy your vRS with 205 tyres still on.

 

If you are running 15" Tyres / Wheels be sure they are a Speed / Load Rating to suit the vRS.

[Furbytom]

[Rab-k]

I've run with Nokians on the Octy 4x4 for the past 4 winters and have had no issue with them. TBH they can best be described as making driving on icy/snowy roads positively 'boring' - which daft as it sounds is exactly what you want.

 

Just got a set of Nokian WR D3 205/60 R15 95 H XL from Pneus online to fit to OEM steels, so it may be worth checking the Nokian range for your prefered size.

[Rooted]

If you go 195's & 15" rims, then you will probably want 195/55 R15

& for 16", 195/50 R16

 

A briskoda members car on steels,

i think the white steel look works.

Edited 3 October, 2014 by goneoffSKi

[Brian69]

Winter tyres are a totally alien concept to me - if there's snow, I don't go! Appreciate others need to use their cars whatever the weather but I really struggle to see the justification in the UK. The last winter was particularly mild, even here in Jockland.

[Rooted]

Even further North in Jockland last winter and on trips to the frozen wastes of the South.

I had my Winters on an off more often last winter then a Katie Price has been married.  

 

With a good set of tyres on a vRS it is pretty good on Prepared Roads and even unprepared but hard packed.

& where the roads are not ploughed it is going no place really unless ploughing its own furrow.

Edited 4 October, 2014 by goneoffSKi

[ChrisRs]

Winter tyres are a totally alien concept to me - if there's snow, I don't go! Appreciate others need to use their cars whatever the weather but I really struggle to see the justification in the UK. The last winter was particularly mild, even here in Jockland.

Here we go!!! :peek: 

[Rooted]

It is a simple case of Location, Location, Location and your needs or wishes.

 

Drivers down in Devon, or near Derby or Dunoon might be fine with the same tyres in winter if they only use the car occasionally.

So maybe on a few days or nights of cold, ice or snow,

but then they might commute or travel any place in Winter & in all weathers and conditions and Cold weather tyres are essential to them.

 

You fit what you need or can afford really.

Past experiences of where and when you drive should guide you.

No point someone that lives and drives hundred of miles away from where you do telling you what they fit,

even people living & driving 50 miles apart can have different Winter Tyre needs.

[Gumby]

I've got continental TS850's on steelies at 195/50/15. Got them from tyremen for around £500 2 years ago. Very good in the cold and amazing in snow/ice.  that's the key point though, winter tyres are not just for the snow, they grip better in the cold over standard tyres.

 

If you want to buy winter tyres, remember it's your money. If you can justify it then go for it.  

 

I live in Cambridgeshire and it is sometimes bad with snow, but generally it's just very cold especially in the darkest depths of the Fens.

 

And to add the pictures...

 

 

there was a good 3-4 inches of snow on the day i took this pic and the same on the un ploughed dual carriageways. I was able to push through at a decent and safe speed in the outside lane with complete control meaning i could still get to work on time and in one piece.

Edited 4 October, 2014 by Gumby

[lol-lol]

It is just so much easier to stick with the original 17" rims.

 

I have two addional wtite alloy rims with winters on them and then just change over the other two summer tyres to winter ones and job done.

 

No telling the insurance company as they are standard size rims and full ie V rated speed rating.

 

Some insurance companies were charging £25 change over fees summer to winter and then again when you changed back in March, no thank-you.

 

If you feel you must then the 15" diameter 6"J rims I would have thought are OK but since the Fabia VRS is quite capable of melting the OE Contis I would not go down to 195/55 - 15s on principle.

 

Openeo is the best place I have found for winter tyres and steel wheels (from £ 34 delivered, tyes from about £44 for good one ie Nexens).

 

http://www.oponeo.co.uk/steel-wheels-finder#&&/wEXDAULcGNrX1RyTFNDYXIFBDc2NTUFE3Bja19UckxTQm9sdFBhdHRlcm4FBTV4MTAwBQhwY2tfSU9GUAUCMTIFB3Bja19JUFAFAjI0BQdwY2tfQ1BnBQExBQpwY2tfVHJMU1NMBQEwBQxwY2tfVHJMU0hvbGUFATAFDHBja19UckxTRGlhbQUCMTUFFXBja19Mc3RTU29ydFBhcmFtZXRlcgUBNAUVcGNrX1RyTFNTb3J0RGlyZWN0aW9uBQExBQpwY2tfVHJMU1BUBQEwBQpwY2tfVHJMU1BGBQEwvpTKc3jIFjHJsXM/3y8WhGgvfqc=

[trundlenut]

It is just so much easier to stick with the original 17" rims.

I have two addional wtite alloy rims with winters on them and then just change over the other two summer tyres to winter ones and job done.

No telling the insurance company as they are standard size rims and full ie V rated speed rating.

Some insurance companies were charging £25 change over fees summer to winter and then again when you changed back in March, no thank-you.

If you feel you must then the 15" diameter 6"J rims I would have thought are OK but since the Fabia VRS is quite capable of melting the OE Contis I would not go down to 195/55 - 15s on principle.

Openeo is the best place I have found for winter tyres and steel wheels (from £ 34 delivered, tyes from about £44 for good one ie Nexens).

http://www.oponeo.co.uk/steel-wheels-finder#&&/wEXDAULcGNrX1RyTFNDYXIFBDc2NTUFE3Bja19UckxTQm9sdFBhdHRlcm4FBTV4MTAwBQhwY2tfSU9GUAUCMTIFB3Bja19JUFAFAjI0BQdwY2tfQ1BnBQExBQpwY2tfVHJMU1NMBQEwBQxwY2tfVHJMU0hvbGUFATAFDHBja19UckxTRGlhbQUCMTUFFXBja19Mc3RTU29ydFBhcmFtZXRlcgUBNAUVcGNrX1RyTFNTb3J0RGlyZWN0aW9uBQExBQpwY2tfVHJMU1BUBQEwBQpwY2tfVHJMU1BGBQEwvpTKc3jIFjHJsXM/3y8WhGgvfqc=

I have got 2 sets of Nokian winter tyres from Oponeo, decent price and quick delivery from Germany.

Got a set of D3s last winter for the Leon and just got a set of A3s for my dad's Yeti.

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[Rooted]

& you can get some pretty good 215/40 R17 Winter Tyres fitted with the required markings, that are good for use in EU countries 

where you need to fit those type of tyres.

 

Personally my 'Much Cheapness', 215 /40 R 17 M&S Tyres on last winter were not particularly good in the Cold,

they are not Cold Weather Compound, Better than Summer tyres though, (Great in Warm Weather)

but good on Snow & more important on Grass. & cold Grass, and great in the Wet.

Edited 4 October, 2014 by goneoffSKi

[lol-lol]

Went for the Nexen All season tyres on the HTP Fabia.  Paid £44 delivered, now £45 as Euro/GBP fluctuates and All/Winters become more in demand. 

 

http://www.oponeo.co.uk/tyre-details/nexen-n-priz-4s-195-55-r15-85-h#72921237

 

Could work on Faiba VRS but as I said I would not want to see 132 Kw going through them where as the 205/40-17 Nexen Winguards seem to cope no bother.

[Sittingbull]

I'm on the oponeo site at the moment, can anyone tell me the spacing I should input to go with 16" steel wheels? I'm trying to work out whether or not to go with winter tyres on our current wheels or get steel wheels and winter tyres. As it happens I'm not very happy with the tyres as presented when we bought the car but have had other things to sort out first.

 

Thanks for any help.

[logiclee]

You can check your insurers requirements here.

 

https://www.abi.org.uk/Insurance-and-savings/Products/Motor-insurance/Winter-tyres

 

You have no need to fit winter tyres with a high speed rating like summer tyres. Many cars have a winter tyre speed warning system that you can program in an alarm. If your car does not have this facility it's acceptable to fit a speed warning sticker visible to the driver. (That is EU law and in force in the UK)

 

The UK would run a lot smoother in winter if it adopted some other EU countries laws. ie you are required to fit tyres suitable for the conditions. So if you choose to leave summers on and it snows then stay off the roads.

 

Our three cars get winters fitted. All bought from mytyres

 

http://www.mytyres.co.uk/Steel_wheels.html 

 

Lee

Edited 4 October, 2014 by logiclee

[Rooted]

Where as you might have no Legal Requirement to fit Speed Rated tyres because they are for Winter,

but it can be 20 + *oC 

in February / March time and great days for taking advantage of sporting drives in your vRS,

and you might want to take off the Lower Speed Winter Rated Tyres just to keep your Insurance company happy,

but obviously at 60 - 70 MPH they are perfectly safe.

 

May time and it can be days and weeks of Snow.

the UK is an unusual place for what tyres suit best when.

 

Here we had 2 nights of below 2*oc last Month, and perfectly dry roads and only those that run Cold Weather tyres all year

will have been prepared if the roads had been Wet and then frozen,

No Gritting was being done here in September.

 

Winter Spec Petrol & Winter Diesel will be getting Distributed here in the next 2 weeks.

 

It is below 4*oC outside now and dropping.

Probably around 15*o C tomorrow and its a Holiday Weekend.

Edited 4 October, 2014 by goneoffSKi

[logiclee]

Quite amusing setting the winter speed alarm to 130mph because I've fitted H rated winters instead of W rated summers.

 

Not heard it go off yet.

 

Lee

Edited 4 October, 2014 by logiclee

[Rooted]

I usually set it at 80 mph 'Winter Tyres' just to let anyone driving get notice Winter Tyres are on, and it works as well to remind them they are over the NSL.

(it usually stays set like that no matter what tyres are on.)

 

Its amazing how often someone gets in a loaner and never think what tyres are fitted.

Edited 4 October, 2014 by goneoffSKi

[Ooopnorth]

Winter tyres are a totally alien concept to me - if there's snow, I don't go! Appreciate others need to use their cars whatever the weather but I really struggle to see the justification in the UK. The last winter was particularly mild, even here in Jockland.

Watch the video and an explanation is given as to why winter tyres are an important safety feature.  Anyone who drives their's or anyone else's kids in their car in cold weather should have winter tyres on - its a no-brainer - but that's just my opinion!  If you own a 4x4 version and you don't use winter tyres then I think you may have wasted your money if you take it out in winter, as it's all about grip and grip is about tyres (again just my opinion)   .

 

http://www.skoda.co.uk/owners/winter-care/winter-tyres

Edited 4 October, 2014 by Ooopnorth

[trundlenut]

I usually set it at 80 mph 'Winter Tyres' just to let anyone driving get notice Winter Tyres are on, and it works as well to remind them they are over the NSL.

(it usually stays set like that no matter what tyres are on.)

Its amazing how often someone gets in a loaner and never think what tyres are fitted.

People at work using the pool vans never seem to bother even when they have a form which tells them to check the bloody things.

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[Rooted]

I set the Speed Warning at 100 mph, the warning so that they are reminded being caught might get them banned.

 

I should have paid attention this week to the 80 MPH warning and watched out for the unmarked BMW.

 

PS.

2.8 *oC outside now, so i take it i should have Winter Tyres on before setting off according to the Experts.

Edited 4 October, 2014 by goneoffSKi

[Ooopnorth]

I'm wondering if for the Fabia the 185/55s might be better than the 195/55s if it does actually snow as narrower tyres seem to cope better in the white stuff from my experience (think, if you can bear it, Citreon 2CV!!! I know I know......but in the snow they were bloom' marvellous with those skinny wheels).

[Rooted]

The question from the OP was about fitting them to a vRS.  Which comes on 205/40 R 17's

 

if he needs tyres as narrow as 185 then that might be an idea,

he may then want to Reduce the Assistance on the Steering because it will be a bit light,

but he will get around just fine on 205's quite probably,  good Winter Tyres in 205 or 215 work just fine on a vRS on snow & on Ice

http://kouki.co.uk/utilities/visual-tyre-size-calculator

Edited 4 October, 2014 by goneoffSKi

[trundlenut]

I'm wondering if for the Fabia the 185/55s might be better than the 195/55s if it does actually snow as narrower tyres seem to cope better in the white stuff from my experience (think, if you can bear it, Citreon 2CV!!! I know I know......but in the snow they were bloom' marvellous with those skinny wheels).

Given that the OP will be mainly driving on cold damp roads normal width tyres will probably offer more predictable handling, but still be more than adequate in the white stuff.

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